Improvement in miniature steam fire-engines



' ALBERT L. DEWEY." Improvement in Miniature Steam Fire Engines.

Patented 'Aug. 22,1871.

7/272? elm aw PATENT CFFIQE.

ALBERT L. DEWEY, OF WESTFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MINIATURE STEAM FIRE-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 118,218, dated August 22, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT L. DEWEY, of Westfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and improved article of manufacture, consisting of a miniature steam-pumpin g or fire-engine, of which the following is. a specification: I

The first part of my invention relates to the construction and arrangement of the boiler with its internal steam-pipe, together with its outside supporting-jacket or furnace; the object of this part of my invention being to cheapen and simplify the construction of these details, and also to provide for a direct and simple steam communication between the boiler, steam-chamber, and engine. The second part of my invention relates to the peculiar construction and arrangement of the parts composing the steam-engine frame, together with an oscillating force-pump and stemncylinder; the object of this part of my invention being to cheapen and simplify the construction of these details and -thereby pro- 'vide a compact and simple steam-pump. The

third part of my invention relates to the peculiar construction and arrangement of the main frame of the machine together with the peculiar means employed for its connection with the boiler and steanrengine frame; the object of this part of my invention being also to cheapen and simplify its construction. The nature and object of my invention, as a whole, consist in the peculiar construction and simplification of the details composing a genuine miniature steam-pumping or fire-engine to such a degree as to enable it to be produced and sold asa toy.

The novel details of construction and arrangement will be described in connection with the drawing, which represents a machine embodying the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention, showing the boiler in section in the line c a, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view of my invention, also showing the boiler in section in the line j i, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the engine frame, steam, and pump-cylinders taken in the line it u, Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a detached View of the valve-seat, showing the suction and dischargeports on the force-pump side of the englue-frame G. Fig. 5 is a detached view of the valve-seat, showing the live-steam and exhaustports on the steam-cylinder side of the engineframe Gr. Fig. 6 is a detached view of the steamcylinder, showing the valve-face with its steamports. Fig. 7 is also a detached view of a singleaction force-pump, showing the valve-face with its water-port.

Similar letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents a small steamboiler. B B is a sheet-metal jacket supporting the same, together with the lamp 0 for generating the steam. Dis the main frame of the machine. E represents the wheels upon which all is supported. F is the neap or pole. G is the steam-pump frame. H is the cylinder. I is the force-pump cylinder. J is the crank. L is the fly-wheel. M is the airchamber for the force-pump. N is the suctionhose. 0 is the discharge-hose. P is a screw or bolt to fasten the engine or pump-frame G to the main frame D of the machine. Q is the piston-head. R is the pistonrod. S is the valve. T h are the valve-seats. U is a spring fastened to the trunnion V, upon which the steam-cylinder H oscillates, and serving to keep the valve S snug up to the valve-seat T. X is the steamchest, formed by drilling a hole in the engineframe G. Y is the smoke-stack, screwed to the top of the boiler A. Z is the curved steam-pipe within the boiler and coupling with the engine at Z a is the live-steainport for the valve seat T of the steam-cylinder H, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 5. I) is the exhaust-port to the same. 0 is the steam-port to the cylinder H. d is the suctionport to the force pump valve-seat. e is the discharge-port to the same. f is the valve of the force-pump I, and contains a port marked g. K

K are air-holes for lamp 0 contain ed in the jacket B. The steam-cylinder H and force-pump cylinder I are both oscillating cylinders. The forcepump cylinder 1 may be constructed so as to act either as a single-action pump, as shown by the fulllines in Figs. 2, 4, and 7, or as a double-action pump, as shown by the broken lines in Figs. 5 and 7, in which case it is only necessary to make the force-pump cylinder I of somewhat smaller caliber, and. a duplicate of the doubleaction steamcylinder H, and by making, in place of the single-acting valve-face h of the engineframe G, a duplicate of the double-action valve seat T of the steaincylinder H, and by connecting the two induction and eduction-ports or pipes into one induction and eduction-pipe by means of branch pipes y 2, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 5, either of which arrangements may be successfully worked. Each cylinder is provided with a valve-seat, T It. Said valve-seats form a part of the casting of the engine-frame G, and each valve-seat is furnished with steam orwater-ports, as the case maybe, as we select either the steam or water side of the engine-frame G for inspection, one of which communicates with the live steam, (or water to be drawn,) and the other serving for the escape of the exhaust steam, (or water to be forced.) Each cylinder is provided with. a single steam or water-port near its ends, as shown at Figs. 2, 6, and 7. The single ports cominunicate alternately with either. port of the valve-seats T h as the cylinders oscillate from one side to the other of the line 00 y, Figs. 3, 4, and 5, in each revolution of the cranks J J.

The construction of this invention. is as follows: The boiler A is made of thin metal, and is supplied at its top with an imitation smoke-stack, which contains within it a safety-valve, 9, screwed onto and serving as a plug to the aperture, 8, through which water is introduced to fill the boiler A; said boiler being inclosed in the upper part of a sheet-metal jacket, B, which is riveted to and supported by the hoop of the main frame D of the machine. Said jacket contains anumber of holes for supplying the lamp 0 with air, which lamp 0 is carried at the lower part of the jacket B, as shown in Fig. 1. The boiler is provided with an internal curved steam-pipe, Z; said pipe communicating with the steam-chamber of the boilerA and also with the steam-chest X contained in the engine-frame G, to which it is connected by a screw-coupling, Z said coupling passing through the jacket B B and thereby supporting the boilerA in its proper position in the jacket. The frame G of the steam-pump, with its two valve-seats, T and h, is cast in one piece, and the steam-chest X, with the ports, is formed by drilling, as shown in the drawing. It has a screw at the end marked as, Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5, by which it is united with the steam-pipe and boiler; and it is still further secured to the main frame-D by a screw or bolt passing through the main frame D and pipe Pinto the engine-frame G, and thereby firmly unitin g the frames D an d G together. The two cylinders H and I are connected with the frame G by means of trunnions 'v v, and upon which they oscillate; the cylinder being also directly connected with the cranks J J by means of their piston-rods It It. By this arrangement an oscillating motion is given to the cylinder by the revolutions of the cranks J J, and by means of this motion the valves Sand f (which form a part of the cylinders) are worked. The cranks are so placed as to cause the cylinders to do their work at the same time but in opposite directions. The air-chamber is formed of thin metal and soldered together.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The smoke-stack Y and safety-valve 9 being re- 1noved,water is introduced through the aperture 8, and after filling the boiler, as shown in Fig. 1, the smoke-stack or plug is replaced, and, the lamp 0 being lit, the steam will commence to form and will find its way down the steam-pipe Z into the steam-chest X and through the port a, Figs. 1., 3, and 5, to the valve-seat T, beyond which it cannot go if the engine-cylinder stands in a horizontal position, as in that position the cylin der-valve closes the live-steam port a, as plainly shown at Fig. 3. After a sufficient pressure of steam is formed in the boiler A it will start the engine, if the cylinder H is caused to move slightly in the direction of the arrow, Figs. 1 and 3, thereby opening a communication with the cylinder H, through its single port 0, with the live steam port a of the steam-chest X contained in the engine-frame G the communication with the boiler A and cylinder H by this means being established, the steam will cause the piston g, Fig. 2, to move and drive the crank-shaft in the direction of the arrow until it has finished its inward stroke. In the mean time the force-pump plunger will 11 ve made parts of both its inward and outward strokes, and thereby forcing the water contained in the cylinder through the ports 9 6 into the air-chamber M, after which the port g, by reason of the oscillation of the cylinder, will communicate with the suction-port d, and, thereby allowing the cylinder I to again fill itself by the outward stroke of its plunger, the steam-cylinder H will return (after again shutting off the steam) again to the horizontal position from which it started. Its piston having completed its backward stroke within the cylinder, having driven the fly-wheel L one-half of a revolution,the other half of the revolution is accomplished by the return stroke of the piston Q, by which also the dead steam before it is forced through the exhaustport b into the air, the communication with the cylinder H and exhaust-port I) being established by reason of the cylinder H havin g oscillated fromthe opposite side of the line 00 y, Fig.1. In the mean time the pump-plunger will have made its outward stroke and filled the cylinder through the suction-port (Z and hose N, Figs. 1, 3, and 4, and upon its return stroke it will force said water into the air-chamber M, from which it is discharged through the hose 0, Fig. 1.

It may be seen that by this arrangement a simple, compact, and cheap steam-pump or miniature steam fire-engine may be constructed, from onehorse power down to the smallest toy.

Having now described my invention and the operation of the same, some of its advantages I claim to be as follows: First, as a simple toy it combines instruction with amusement to a great degree, combining, as it does, both the steam-engine and force-pump in one and the same machine. Second, its practical utility (when constructed upon a larger scale) as a convenient and portable steam-pump to be used for various purposes, in which case, however, there would be a modification in the construction of the boiler.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent as a new article of manufacture, is as follows:

1. The construction, combination, and peculiar arrangement of parts A Z Y, composing the steampipe, smoke-stack, and boiler, together with its supporting-jacket B, composing the fire-box, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. The peculiar construction, arrangement, and combination of the frame common to the steam and force-pump cylinders H I,.connecting the two valve-seats T and h and forming one piece of casting, Gr, together with the separate pieces composing the steam-cylinder H, oscillating force-pump I, and air-chamber M, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

' 3. The construction and arrangement of the main frame D of the machine with its supporting-Wheels E E, and in combination with the parts composing the boiler A, furnace B B, supporting-screw P, and steam-pump or en gineframe G, of a miniature portable steam-pmnping' engine, substantially as hereinbefore described and set forth.

ALBERT L. DEWEY.

Witnesses:

ANDREW L. BUsH, LoUIs H. MOORE. 

